Matthew Poole and continuators on Genesis 42

1 NOW when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another ?

(i. e.) heard, as the word is used, Exod. 20. 18. as seeing is put for smelling, Exod. 5. 21. and for tasting, Psal. 34. 8. and for touching, Ioh. 20. 29.

Like lazy, careless, and helpless persons, each one expecting relief from the other, but none offering either counsel or help for all our subsistence.

Marginal references: Act. 7. 12.

2 And he said, Behold I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence, that we may live, and not die .

This word explains the word saw, ver. 1.

For Egypt was lower than Canaan; whence on the contrary they are said to go up to Canaan, Gen. 45. 9.

An emphatical repetition of the same thing used here to make them more sensible of their danger.

Marginal references: chap. 43. 8. Psal. 118. 17. Isa. 38. 1.

4 But Benjamin Josephs brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren: for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befal him.

Because he was very young, and now his best beloved son.

6 And Joseph was the governour over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Josephs brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him , with their faces to the earth.

Either 1. by his Ministers and Commissioners appointed to that end, as men in Scripture and in all Authors are said to do that which others do by their authority and command? Or 2. he himself immediately contracted with the buyers, or at least with such as were forreigners; which he did upon prudential reasons, both because he would not have them to pry into the state of Egypt, ver. 12. and because he would by that opportunity understand the state of other lands and improve that knowledge for his masters service.

Thus unwittingly fulfilling Iosephs dream, Gen. 37. 7.

7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them : and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Partly to bring their sin to remembrance; partly to get the knowledge of the true state of his Father and Family; and partly to further the following design and make way for his and their greater happiness.

Marginal references: Heb. hard things with them.

8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him .

Because his visage was much altered by his beard and by other things, it being about 20 years since they saw him, and his Egyptian Language and Habit and Carriage together with the great dignity of his place prevented all suspicious concerning their brother.

9 And Joseph remembred the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies : to see the nakedness of the land you are come.

This he saith not because they were so, or he thought them to be so, but that he might search out the truth of their affairs, speaking too much like a Courtier or Politician.

(i. e.) The weak parts of it, and where it may be best assaulted or surprized.

Marginal references: chap. 37. 5.

11 We are all one mans sons ; we are true men : thy servants are no spies.

And therefore not spies; for it is not likely either that a father would venture so many of his sons upon so hazardous an employment: or that such a work would have been trusted in the hands of one family, onely.

Who honestly and truly mean what we pretend and have no other design in our coming hither.

13 And they said, Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan: and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not .

(i. e.) Is dead, as that phrase oft signifies both in Scripture, as Gen. 37. 30. and 44. 2[illegible: 1+ letters]. I[illegible: 1+ letters]r. 31. 15. Mat. 2. 18, 18. and in other Authors, as Homer, E[illegible: 1+ letters]ripides, &c. They concluded with great probability that he was dead, chap. 44. 20. because for 20 years together they had heard nothing either of him, or from him; which may seem strange considering the nearness of Egypt and Canaan: but this came to pass partly from his own long imprisonment and afterward from his great and high employments; partly from his loathness to bring so much mischief to his father and brethren as the discovery of his case might have produced; and principally from the overruling Providence of God, which for its own glorious design disposed of Iosephs mind and affairs so that he either did not send to his fathers house, or that the messages were intercepted, there being not then those conveniencies for mutual correspondencies which now there are. And it is not improbable that Ioseph might be further acquainted with the mind of God in this matter by dreams, which may seem to have been familiarly afforded to him together with the interpretation of them. See Gen. 40. 8. and 41. 16.

Marginal references: Iam. 5. 7.

14 And Joseph said unto them, That is it that I spake unto you, saying, Ye are spies .

This justifies my accusation; for it is not probable, that one man should have so many so[illegible: 1+ letters]s all grown up and living together in one Family and that he should expose them all to the perils of such a journey.

15 Hereby ye shall be proved: by the life of Pharaoh , ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.

As sure as Pharaoh lives. It seems to be the form of an oath in use among the Egi[illegible: 1+ letters]tians, as afterwards the Romans used to swear by the Name, Genius, Health and Life of their Emperors. Compare 1 Sam. 1. 26. and 17. 55. 2 King. 2. 2. Ezek. 33. 11. And it is not strange that Ioseph through humane infirmity was carried by the stream of the general practise of the Court, especially when the law of God was not yet delivered concerning the appropriation of Oaths unto God.

Marginal references: See 1 Sam. 1. 26. & 17. 55.

18 And Joseph said unto them the third day, This do, and live : for I fear God .

I will spare your lives, and not punish you with death as spies, and you shall carry provisions that your family also may live.

And therefore will not be cruel to you, nor to your brother whom you shall leave with me. This might have raised some suspition concerning Ioseph, but that they knew there were divers among the heathens who did own the true God, though they worshipped Idols with him.

Marginal references: Neh. 5. 15.

19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison : go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses.

In which you are now imprisoned, and are still like to be so, if you accept not this condition.

20 But bring your youngest brother unto me, so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die: and they did so .

(i. e.) Resolved and promised to do so. Th[illegible: 1+ letters]se things are oft said to be done in Scripture which were sincerely resolved upon, as hath been noted before.

Marginal references: chap. 43. 5.

21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us , and we would not hear: therefore is this distress come upon us .

This is the just punishment of that great wickedness, which though we could cover from men, yet we now see and feel was known to God who is now reckoning with us for it. Thus divine Vengeance overtakes them and conscience tortures them for a sin committed above 20 years before, and their affliction brings them to repentance.

Compare Gen. 49. 23. Yet this passage is not mentioned in that history, chap. 37. Learn hence, that the silence of the Scripture, is no good argument that such or such a thing was not said or done, except in some special cases.

He is inexorable to us, as we were to him.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying, spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child, and ye would not hear? therefore behold also, his blood is required.

The punishment of his blood or death occasioned by us.

Marginal references: chap. 37. 21.

24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept , and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon , and bound him before their eyes .

Tears partly of natural affection and compassion towards his brethren, now in great distress and anguish; and partly of joy to see the happy success of his design and rigorous carriage in bringing them to the sight of their sins.

Whom he chuseth to punish, partly because next to Reuben, he was the eldest, and, as it may be probably gathered from his bloody disposition, Gen. 34. 25. and 49. 6. the most fierce and forward against Iosep[illegible: 1+ letters], when Reuben was for milder counsels as we see here, ver. 22. and chap. 37. 29. and partly because the detainment of one of so perverse and furious a temper would least afflict his father, and most secure Benia[illegible: 1+ letters]in, who was to come with his Brethren.

That it might make deeper impression upon their hard hearts, and make their repentance more effectual.

27 And as one of them opened his sack, to give his ass provender in the Inne, he espied his mony, for behold, it was in his sacks mouth.

And after him the rest by his example and information, did so, as is affirmed, chap. 43. ver. 21. and it is not denied here.

28 And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored, and lo, it is even in my sack, and their heart failed them, and they were afraid , saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us ?

Lest this should be a design to entrap and so destroy them.

Whoever were the instruments, they knew that God was the chief author of this occurrent, and wisely reflect upon his providence in it, and their own guilt which provoked him against them.

Marginal references: Heb. went forth.

35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold every mans bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid .

(i. e.) Their fear returned upon them with more violence, having now more leisure to consider things, and their wise and experienced father suggesting new matters to them which might more deeply affect them.

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not ▪ and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me .

He gave him up for lost, as being, as he thought, in the power of a cruel enemy.

I am the great sufferer in all these things: you carry your selves as if you were neither concerned nor affected with them.

37 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons , if I bring him not to thee, deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

Two of the four mentioned, Gen. 46. 9. An absurd proposition, neither fit for him to make, nor for Iacob to accept.

38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone : if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my grayhairs with sorrow to the grave.

To wit, of his mother, my dear Rachel.